Netflix just hired Clippy to give you movie and TV suggestions

In what looks, sounds, and is written like a rated-G April Fools’ joke, Netflix has announced Max, a recommendation engine that sits on top of Netflix’s already established recommendation services, except with a “personality.” Essentially, Netflix has brought the infamous Microsoft Office tutorial mascot, Clippy, back from his spreadsheet grave.

Netflix’s current recommendation services are easy to use, and does the best it can even when it seems like it’s intentionally recommending TV shows you absolutely hate. There’s nothing wrong on sprucing them up, though, so the idea of Max, in theory, is sound. In Netflix’s announcement, however, the idea comes off as totally bonkers, thanks largely to the writing.

Max is “rumored to be the child or Siri and HAL 9000,” and will employ some new strategies to help you find something you’d enjoy watching. In one scenario, Max presents you with a simple either-or choice; the provided example has you choose either “monkeys or UFOs.” Presumably, if you pick UFOs, you’ll be presented with History Channel documentaries or perhaps something like Fire in the Sky.

However, with the attempt at being amusing but coming up more like an April Fools’ joke, the announcement notes that Max sometimes becomes “intoxicated by past success,” gets “a little cocky,” and offers a suggestion without even asking your opinion. However, the suggestion is a mystery, and “you’ll just have to trust him” and press Play.

Max will be launching on the PS3 version of Netflix starting today, only available to US members. Netflix will be rolling the Clippy-esque service out to more members in the upcoming weeks, and if it is received well, will be coming to more Netflix devices in the future. The iPad, the announcement noted, will be the next target.